THE LISTINGS

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: December 21, 2007

JAZZ

Full reviews of recent jazz concerts: nytimes.com/music.

BENDING TOWARDS THE LIGHT: A JAZZ NATIVITY (Sunday through Tuesday) This production, created by the singer Anne Phillips and the saxophonist Bob Kindred, tells the story of Christmas through jazz. Its capable cast includes the trumpeters Ingrid Jensen and Warren Vach?the trombonist Benny Powell and the saxophonists Steve Wilson and Frank Wess. At 5 and 8 p.m. (5 p.m. only on Sunday), Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com; cover, $45 and $40, with a $10 minimum. (Nate Chinen)

GENE BERTONCINI TRIO (Friday and Saturday) The guitarist Gene Bertoncini is rightly celebrated for his articulate solo playing, though he should sound no less compelling backed by Steve LaSpina on bass and Rich DeRosa on drums, as he is here. At 8 and 10 p.m., Kitano Hotel, 66 Park Avenue, at 38th Street, (212) 885-7119, kitano.com; cover, $25, with a $15 minimum. (Chinen)

CHRIS BOTTI (Friday through Tuesday) Mr. Botti's brooding trumpet style has won him a mass audience, as has his standard-laden repertory. This is the final stretch of his two-week club engagement with a strong working band that includes the guitarist Mark Whitfield, the pianist Peter Martin and the drummer Billy Kilson. At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $60 at tables, $40 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen)

GEORGE COLEMAN QUARTET (Wednesday and Thursday) Fluent and fiery hard bop, from a tenor saxophonist whose legacy got a nice boost this year: He's heard in excellent form on ''Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival'' (MJF/Concord), a just-issued document from his fairly brief but memorable tenure with the Miles Davis Quintet. (Through Dec. 29.) At 8:30 and 11 p.m., Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton, (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com; cover, $40 and $30, with a $10 minimum.

(Chinen)

CARLA COOK (Friday and Saturday) A vivacious jazz singer with a book of original tunes, Ms. Cook never fails to connect with her accompanists, who tend to be top-notch. At 9 and 11 p.m., Sweet Rhythm, 88 Seventh Avenue South, at Bleecker Street, West Village, (212) 255-3626, sweetrhythmny.com; cover, $20, with a $10 minimum. (Chinen)

CHICK COREA ELEKTRIC BAND (Wednesday and Thursday) An unapologetic though intermittent fusion institution since the 1980s, featuring the synthesizers and assorted keyboards of Chick Corea, along with the energetic work of Eric Marienthal on alto saxophone, Frank Gambale on guitar and Dave Weckl on drums. Victor Wooten, a recent addition on electric bass, was practically born to this hyperactive style. (Through Dec. 31.) At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $35 at the bar (tables are sold out), with a $5 minimum. (Chinen)

CRESCENT BOOGALOO (Friday through Sunday) This suggestively named outfit boasts an ace front line -- Nicholas Payton on trumpet, and Donald Harrison on alto saxophone -- that's deeply rooted in New Orleans music, including funk and R&B. The rhythm section, spearheaded by Dr. Lonnie Smith on Hammond B-3 organ, should add some soulful churn. At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., with an 11:30 p.m. set on Friday and Saturday, Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $30.

(Chinen)

CARLO DE ROSA QUARTET (Sunday) Carlo De Rosa, a propulsive bassist, showcases original material in this ensemble with the soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome, the pianist Art Hirahara and the drummer Justin Brown. At 10 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)

AMIR ELSAFFAR (Wednesday) Mr. ElSaffar plays both the trumpet and the santoor, a hammered dulcimer, and sings in the Iraqi Maqam tradition. His new album, ''Two Rivers'' (Pi), makes a strong case for improvised cross-cultural exchange. At 8 p.m., the Stone, Avenue C and Second Street, East Village, thestonenyc.com; cover, $10. (Chinen)